


the Diamond Mafia

by anonymousxnonsense



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Mafia AU, Multi, Other, Stripper AU, the diamond authority is a mob
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-20 03:46:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9473972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousxnonsense/pseuds/anonymousxnonsense
Summary: The Diamond Authority is a mafia on Homeworld, and their pearls are strippers at a club the Diamonds own.  The Diamonds' rise to power has been swift and absolute, and Pearl finds herself caught in the middle of it all.





	1. Unoffical Show at Radiance

Pearl took a deep breath. She was always nervous before a show; always. Yellow Pearl was in the background, squawking at some attendants in that nasal shrill of a voice she had. Looking in the mirror before her, Pearl noted that Blue Pearl was seated in her usual chaise in the corner, seemingly looking at nothing. Pearl knew very well enough the Blue Pearl missed nothing beneath those bangs. They only served to make her unreadable. 

Yellow Pearl was squawking again. Pearl sighed and waved away her own attendant. She was perfectly capable of putting on her own makeup, thank you very much, she had been doing this for years and no one knew her face better than she did. Yellow Pearl may require attendants to serve her every beck and call, from hair to makeup to outfitting, but Pearl had no need.

Pearl dusted on some shimmer on her cheeks and highlighted the area around her gem. She knew _just_ how to get that perfect shimmer that faded outwards from her gem, highlighting the area and showing off her lustrous opacity. She stood abruptly, palms down on her vanity, and immediately the bustle in the room stopped. “It's almost time,” she said with a smile, looking at everyone from within her mirror. She turned, smile gaining brilliance – oh, she could charm anyone if she chose – and swept her gaze over the room. 

Everything was perfect even if Yellow primped and fussed until the last second. It always was, and tonight would be no different. Even the sinking feeling in Pearl's gut couldn't change that. 

The attendants nodded and left the room, leaving the three Pearls to their own devices. Yellow Pearl was the first to open her mouth and Pearl raised a hand before she could speak. “None of that tonight, Yellow. We're going to get through this as we always do.”

“But the _diamonds_ didn't authorize this! What will happen to _us_ when they find out?!” Yellow Pearl was hugging herself, running her hands along her sides. 

Blue Pearl nodded, finally turning to look at Pearl. “She's right,” she said, voice soft as ever. 

Pearl sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment. “Do you think the Diamonds will punish _us_ for doing what we were made to do? I think not. They'll punish whoever it was that authorized this show.” Pearl's voice was confident and didn't betray her, thank the stars. 

An Agate appeared after a brief knock. She eyed the pearls brusquely, scanning for imperfections before grunting in what was probably approval. “Show's on in three, be ready.” 

Pearl nodded and the Agate left. “We do what we were built for, girls. Let's go,” Pearl said, holding out her hands. Blue stood, reaching for Pearl's hand. Yellow scoffed and rolled her eyes but grabbed Pearl's hand nonetheless. Pearl nodded at the pearls at each of her sides and gave each hand a squeeze. 

The trio walked out towards the side of their stage. It was beautiful, or so Pearl thought. Chiffon made up the backdrop; a sultry mix of blue, yellow, and pink, and glowed with an ethereal light. The light was timed to pulse with the music and could be shut off altogether or changed to reflect one color or the other. The stage itself was made from a beautiful sort of steel, polished to reflect the soft light. Three poles lined the stage made from the same sort of steel as the floor. It made for a light, floating display in stark contrast to the sort of show they would be performing. 

Pearl gave a last squeeze to Blue and Yellow and sent them off. The lights were dimmed, but their silhouettes were clearly visible, and their audience let out an eager roar. Blue Pearl took up her stance slowly, casually. Yellow Pearl grinned widely at the audience, all smugness and confidence as she rounded her pole a few times before finally taking up her own stance. 

The music started, and lights flared up, Blue and Yellow Pearl moving towards each other on center stage. In unison, they parted, each drifting off to their respective poles. They swung around each pole slowly, then both began their climb upwards. 

As Yellow and Blue were each towards the top of their poles, Pearl swept onstage to a few enthusiastic cheers and whistles. The audience was certainly rowdy; then again, the Diamonds weren't here to keep them in check. 

At least they had the Agates. 

Pearl performed a few simple swings on her pole, shimmying downwards as the other Pearls began their own twirling descent. Pearl climbed upwards, smoothly settling into her routine. As she spun she flashed a smile at the audience, then flipped over and swung wide in a perfect split. Bringing her body in closer to the pole she flipped upright again, slowly spinning as she begun her transition to the next swing. Breathe, smile, transition. As she had always done. 

Performing a few other moves, always seamlessly transitioning from one to the other, Pearl slowly descended to the floor. She stepped away from her pole completely, more forwards and towards the audience, while the other two Pearls came in behind her. The song was winding down now and Pearl shimmied to the floor, eyes half lidded as she smiled at no one and everyone. 

Blue and Yellow Pearl finished entwined on the pole while Pearl struck a pose on the floor. The song ended, the lights dimmed, and the audience roared. Pearl was breathing heavily, but she was genuinely smiling. Eyes were glowing in the audience, Pearl noted. Gems were getting rowdier and rowdier, and it was getting harder and harder to hear the music over the din. Most gems in the audience were moving up and down, trying in vain to garner attention from one of the Pearls, but there was a lone gem sitting at the bar. They were immobile, just watching the Pearls. Pearl shrugged it off; this was a strip club, after all, and unusual behavior wasn't so unusual around here. 

The Pearls moved back to their starting positions, and a new song flowed through the speakers. Pearl closed her eyes, never losing her smile, and let the beat flow through her. The bass was heavy, making her skin shiver and heart pound. There wasn't anything better than dancing, Pearl had decided long ago, no matter how risque it might be. 

Losing herself in the music, Pearl slipped into an all-too-familar routine. In a trance-like state she smiled and smiled and smiled and danced and danced and danced. A thin sheen of sweat covered her body, and Pearl knew she was glistening. 

Around the fourth or fifth song, Pearl wasn't too sure, she began to truly strip. Her top had just come off, flung to the back of the stage instead of to the crowd like normal. If thrown into the crowd, she knew tonight she would never get it back. Halfway through the current song, Pearl was doing a low, outstretched swing. A burly quartz got bold enough to reach up and touch Pearl, grabbing her wrist as she swung low and outwards. Pearl was stopped mid-swing, and she smiled at the Quartz. She gently tugged at her hand, trying to free her wrist, but the Quartz's grip was like iron. A nervous titter of a laugh escaped her mouth. “My, you are bold,” Pearl crooned, “but I do need my hand to finish dancing.” 

The Quartz laughed and moved closer. A cold finger ran its way down Pearl's spine, and her eyes widened fractionally. This wasn't good. Quartzes were all too impulsive, and could be hard to control if not properly sated. And Pearls were meat to them. Fragile gems, pretty and opalescent and ripe for the taking. 

The other Pearls had stopped moving as well, and Pearl noted how quiet the audience had gotten. Yellow Pearl was squawking again, Pearl distantly registered, gently tugging in a vain attempt to free herself again. An agate had come over, laying a heavy hand on the quartz. The quartz brushed them off, but wouldn't let go; Pearl saw their mouths moving but couldn't make out the words. 

Both Pearls had come up behind Pearl and were simultaneously holding onto her and the pole. Blue was silent, Yellow was still squawking, and the agate was getting rougher. They were jerking Pearl's arm as the quartz had still not let go. “It hurts,” Pearl said to no one in particular, and the silence of the club broke as all the gems seemed to roar in unison. It was almost louder than it had been earlier, but that could have easily been attributed to the lack of music. 

An overly large Jasper had come up to the front. Pearl couldn't see her face clearly, but was sure it was the lone gem she had seen earlier, at the bar. The Jasper had placed her hand over the other quartz's wrist, careful to not touch Pearl. Words were being said, Pearl was sure, a distant rumble that rumbled around inside of her. “...and I said, _let go_ , or they _will_ hear of this. You _will_ be shattered.” 

The quartz complied, and was promptly greeted with a fist in her teeth courtesy of the Jasper. Pearl fell forward, and was grabbed by both Blue and Yellow before she could hit the floor. Gritting her teeth, Pearl held her wrist gingerly with one hand as she flexed her fingers. Stars, the Quartzes were certainly strong. 

Pearl looked up as the Jasper turned around, and a slow dawning settled over Pearl. This wasn't any Jasper, this was _the_ Jasper, Pink Diamond's Jasper, and Pearl now knew who had authorized the show. 


	2. A Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A thanks would be nice,” Jasper – _the_ Jasper – said, looking down at Pearl through narrowed eyes.
> 
> “Thank you,” Pearl said slowly, drawing out the 'you'. “But I don't see why this is necessary. You shouldn't even be here.”
> 
> The Jasper rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. “Yeah, well, I am. Not like you can do anything, _Pearl_.” Pearl felt herself flushing, and opened her mouth to speak, but the Jasper cut her off. “I'm not here to chit-chat. Look.” 
> 
> The Jasper heaved another sigh, ran a thick hand through equally thick – obscenely thick – white hair. “I'm here to ask you if you want to go out. Get out of this dump.”

The door slammed behind Pearl, and she jumped. Ushered in by both Blue and Yellow, still cradling her arm to her chest, Pearl slowly sank into a plush chair. She looked down at her hand; bruises, dark and bold against her pale skin, formed a thick bracelet around her wrist.

Blue was fussing over Pearl, running fingers through Pearl's hair and gingerly examining Pearl's wrist. Yellow had set off in the background, going on about 'authorized shows', shattering, and the Diamonds. Pearl hardly registered any of it, nor the cool brush of fingers against her forehead. “Let's take this off,” Blue said gently, a cool cloth already removing Pearl's makeup. 

Pearl released a shuddering breath. Had she really been holding it that long? _Stars_ , her wrist hurt. 

Blue was methodical and gentle, her fingers occasionally brushing against Pearl's skin, but she avoided touching Pearl's gem. It was highly intimate, and forbidden; a privilege only awarded to the Diamonds. “That Jasper certainly saved you,” Blue remarked offhandedly.

“I don't want to talk about _that Jasper_ ,” Pearl snapped, and Blue withdrew. Yellow was still droning on in the background. Blue paused for a minute, watching Pearl, then moved back in close, removing the last traces of makeup. Her movements were stiff, and Pearl let out a sigh. “Blue. Blue, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude, it's been a long night...” Pearl trailed off, looking up at Blue.

“It has been,” Blue replied. A barrier had come down between them, and Pearl frowned, looking down. She flexed her fingers again, carefully, and sucked air between her teeth. How was she to explain this to her Diamond? To the Diamonds?

“Don't worry about it for now,” Blue said, before moving away, chiffon flowing behind her like an afterthought of her movements. Yellow had finally shut up, a small grace for which Pearl was grateful. Moving closer to her mirror, Pearl examined her face. Blue was thorough as always; only a small rim of shimmer was visible around Pearl's gem, which was easily taken care of. 

Pearl closed her eyes, withdrawing into herself. It really had been a long night, and she needed rest. A hand clapped down on Pearl's shoulder, and her eyes flew open, but it was only Yellow. Meeting her eyes through the mirror, Pearl quirked a brow.

“The Diamonds will have something to say about this,” Yellow said. She left her hand, resting heavy, on Pearl's shoulder.

Pearl nodded. “I know,” she said, letting her own fingertips ghost across Yellow's. In her own way, Yellow was scared. Pearl felt it too, felt the cold seep into her bones, the heavy weight on her shoulders – and it wasn't just Yellow, leaning heavily now.

“They'll notice the bruises,” Yellow said, her hand tightening on Pearl's shoulder ever so slightly.

“I know,” Pearl repeated, reaching up again to Yellow's hand. Yellow laced their fingers together, mouth tightening as she fell silent.

For once, Yellow was silent, and so was Pearl. They sat there, three Pearls, in a mutual silence.

\-----

Pearl's eyes snapped open at precisely dawn. She had fallen dormant for a few hours, although she was already wide awake. Dormancy was like that; restful and in a deep, trance-like state one moment, wide awake the next. At least for Pearl it was. For Blue and Yellow, not so much. Yellow took far too much time to wake up properly, in Pearl's opinion, and Blue liked to sleep in. She was, however, wide awake as well when she woke.

Sitting up, Pearl looked around at her room. It was clean and orderly, nothing out of place. In other words, perfect. Polished. Pristine. Pearl allowed herself a small smile at that, rising off of her bunk. There were no pillows, blankets, or sheets; Pearl had no need of those things. Those were luxuries not afforded to her. Well, they could be, but Pearl was picky about her small comforts. Material things were more to Yellow's tastes, and even Blue had a cozy nest for herself.

No, Pearl's small comforts were in art. She had, rather like the stage, chiffon decorating the ceiling of her room. It looped to the walls, hanging in graceful curves, before flowing to the floor. Once a week, Pearl made sure to clean it throughly. Chiffon had a bad habit of getting dusty.

There was also a fondness for small pieces of furniture; a vanity, with her makeup essentials, although nothing as fancy as when she danced; a small table with three chairs, highly functional although not _too_ uncomfortable; an armoire, replete with mirror inside and a few drawers below the closet portion. Pearl had the largest room as she was first of the Pearls. Blue and Yellow, manufactured together, had arrived together, although they could not have been more different.

Taking a deep breath, Pearl moved from her room into the common area shared by the Pearls. There were a few unused rooms, although they had not been filled or used yet. Altogether, there were five rooms. Three of them nested together at one end of the common area. The other two were placed almost as an afterthought. There was a small staircase of three steps that led down to were they were located. Although unused, each had a small table, chair, and bed, ready for new occupants, but otherwise kept barren.

In the common room, there was a bookshelf. A rarity, that; Blue had petitioned for it early on, and the Diamonds had surprisingly acquiesced. The books of course were rather droll. Excerpts on gem makings, Homeworld's history and conquests, other planets and their denizens. Nevertheless, both Pearl and Blue had read all of the books ravenously. The common room also housed a few colorful rugs, squishy, overstuffed chairs, a table with eight seating arrangements (although the chairs were mismatched), and a broadcasting screen complete with a communicator. It had been the first of its kind, but now the technology was aging, and the signal didn't come through too clearly anymore.

The room was hideous, and Pearl wouldn't have traded it for the world. It had touches of all the Pearls, as well as the Diamonds.

Pearl curled up in a corner of the sofa, waiting for Blue and Yellow. Turning on the broadcaster, Pearl allowed her mind to go quiet. Homeworld was, to her, this small apartment and Radiance down below. But through the broadcaster, she could see Homeworld to its fullest. Sometimes there were even pictures of other planets, but those were mostly violent and ugly with the worst bits censored out.

The picture was dull, and colors were a muted grey-blue. Occasionally there would be a burst of static, distorting the image. It was certainly an old item – a far cry from the glass screens of the past – but it did its job well. Perhaps Pearl would ask for a new one, make a request instead of a new outfit or piece of art. The Diamonds wouldn't mind, surely; they did communicate with the Pearls through the broadcaster while they were away and oftentimes it would be cut short through malfunction. A new broadcaster would certainly fix that. And there would be _color_.

Sometimes other gems would point Pearl out, note her as being “defective” for her myriad of colors. She didn't fit a scheme, didn't match a Diamond. She was _different_ , and that stood out. But White Diamond had stopped them, once. She had said that Pearl, as all Pearls should be, were reflections of their owners. And in her clarity, in her radiance, was an rainbow of color. Pearl was her reflection. 

The thought made Pearl smile. She felt her cheeks color, hugging herself. 

There was a knock on the door. A quick glance out of the nearby window revealed that it was not even noon yet; hardly time for a show. Why would one of the agates bother them? Standing and adjusting her uniform, Pearl took a deep breath before moving to the door. Surely there wouldn't be a repeat of last night. Her bruises were still highly visible on her wrist; after that fiasco, there wouldn't be another private show. Not for a long time.

When Pearl opened the door, she had to steel herself. The look of shock must have registered, though, because the Jasper – Pink Diamond's Jasper, Pearl reminded herself – stepped back. Pearl folded her arms, holding the door open with her hip halfway. “Yes? What do you want?”

“A thanks would be nice,” Jasper – _the_ Jasper – said, looking down at Pearl through narrowed eyes.

“Thank you,” Pearl said slowly, drawing out the 'you'. “But I don't see why this is necessary. You shouldn't even be here.”

The Jasper rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. “Yeah, well, I am. Not like you can do anything, _Pearl_.” Pearl felt herself flushing, and opened her mouth to speak, but the Jasper cut her off. “I'm not here to chit-chat. Look.” 

The Jasper heaved another sigh, ran a thick hand through equally thick – obscenely thick – white hair. “I'm here to ask you if you want to go out. Get out of this dump.”

Pearl watched the Jasper's eyes look past her and into the Pearls' small apartments. She took a deep breath, quelling her rage, although her voice seethed with barely constrained anger. “No,” she said shortly, “No, that's illegal. Maybe not to Homeworld, but to the Diamonds? Very much so. I'm not leaving here, not without their express permi--”

The Jasper, infuriatingly, cut her off _again_. “I'm not asking, I'm telling,” she said, looking down at Pearl and taking a step closer. Stars, she was big. Pearl felt herself shift backwards, and the Jasper's mouth quirked upwards in a psuedo-smile before fading just as quickly. “Sapphire, Blue Diamond's Sapphire, saw that they were coming back. She also saw the bruises, and this place getting shut down. Now, we all know how much... business, our little club here attracts. Having it shut down is not good for the Authority.”

The Jasper took a step back, cracked her neck, rolled her shoulders, squared her feet as if getting ready for a fight. Pearl knitted her brows together. As if anyone would be able to _fight_ here. No one would be that stupi-- unless, the Jasper was expecting to fight _her_? The Jasper couldn't be _that_ stupid. Pearl wasn't going to resist. It would be useless in the face of such a huge gem. A warrior.

“Anyway,” the Jasper continued, “Sapphire saw the Diamonds return. Tonight. She also knows a healer. And we're going to see her. That's an order.”

Pearl grit her teeth. It would do no good to shout. It might work with the Agates, sometimes, but Pearl knew that she was little more than a Pearl. Her status as a _Diamond's_ Pearl would help her in Radiance, but not here. Not now. Even then, she wasn't used to having orders barked at her, literally. 

But this was Pink Diamond's Jasper. Her lieutenant. She would be used to barking orders at literally any gem. Her status was also elevated, which meant that Pearl was also beneath her. Just another rank-and-file gem to be ordered around.

“Fine,” Pearl hissed, and then she promptly closed the door in the Jasper's face.

Pearl turned from the door and allowed herself a small smile. Being here, being at Radiance and belonging to a Diamond, allowed her small freedoms. She was aware of that, but all the same it was a jarring reminder that she was a lucky Pearl, that not all Pearls were awarded freedoms like her.

It was quiet for a moment, and Pearl allowed herself to think of the shocked expression on the Jasper's face. _How satisfying._ Then, the knocking began. Hurried, but quiet. Pearl frowned and grumbled, making her way to the bookshelf and looking for a certain book.

The knocking increased in volume, and Pearl shot a withering glace to the door. Didn't Jaspers know the meaning of restraint? She continued her search for the book, picking through shelves. It had been awhile since Pearl and Blue had used the code – the book would be hidden... aha! There it was, tucked behind a neat stack of Homeworld's _Conquest_ magazines. A small book, it was worn down and immensely personal. A book that had once belonged to an alien race, humans, it detailed the flora and fauna of the Earth, and was filled to the brim of notes. It had been handwritten by a human, but the last fifty pages or so had been left blank; some studious gem had translated the writing in those last pages.

It meant different things based on where it was located. For now, being left on the table, it meant that whoever was absent was giving a private show. Pearl hoped that Blue would understand.

The door opened – slammed open, really – and Pearl whirled around, coming close to the Jasper without regard for her own safety. “There are _dormant gems here_ ,” she hissed, waving a finger in the Jasper's face, “and I would appreciate it if you showed _some restraint_!”

The Jasper looked mollified, but then her face split into a wide grin. She looked positively predatory. “Listen, little _Pearl_ , no one gives me orders. Now, we're leaving. Let's go.” The Jasper grabbed Pearl's wrist roughly and pulled her along, making for the door. Her voice, however, was lowered from a dull roar to a low rumble.

“That _hurts_!” Pearl gasped, face drawn up in pain.

The Jasper stopped, looked down at Pearl, and the rolled her eyes. “ _Stars_ , you're more fragile than chalk, aren't you?” She let go of Pearl, and Pearl stumbled, clutching at her wrist. Her eyes were watering, but she wouldn't cry in front of this Jasper.

“Lead the way then,” Pearl said primly, looking firmly ahead of her and avoiding eye contact with the Jasper.

The Jasper chuckled low, stepping behind Pearl and gently pushing her out of the door. Pearl looked back behind her into her apartments. The last thing she saw was the human book sitting on the table before the door closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this has been a long time in coming -- I am very, very sorry! I am a slow fanfic writer, please bear with me! <3
> 
> Also, I'm terrible at chapter names. Absolutely terrible.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> So! First SU fanfic. I was HIGHLY inspired by cubedcoconut on tumblr dot com, definitely check her out if you haven't yet! http://cubedcoconut.tumblr.com/ She's drawn amazing art of the Pearls as strippers and I just couldn't resist. 
> 
> Side notes, for future reference: the strip club that the Pearls work at is called "Radiance".
> 
> You can find me, and this fic, @diamondmob on tumblr!


End file.
